BMP-2
The BMP-2 is a tracked, Russian-Designed, Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicle. It is a further development of the BMP-1 first developed in the 1960's--the world's first true IFV. Design Features The BMP-2 is equipped with a 30mm auto-cannon as it's primary armament and a 7.62mm machine-gun in a coaxial mount along with an AT-5 Spandrel Anti-Tank missile. The cannon is capable of tilting to high angles, allowing it to be used as an anti-helicopter weapon, though it can not be fired very rapidly as smoke would build up inside of the turret faster than one can vent it out. The AT-5 was also an improvement over the BMP-1's AT-3 and 4 Missiles. It has a maximum of 33mm of armor, protecting against small-arms but not shaped-charge explosives such as the RPG-7's warhead. It can also carry up to eight armed troops in addition to the operating crew in a rear-ward compartment with the 300 HP diesel engine up-front to allow the space, the troops entering and exiting through two doors in the rear. The BMP-2 is also rated for combat in NBC environments. It has a boat-like profile with an angled hull at the front and a relatively flat top. History The BMP-2 (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty, literally meaning "Combat Vehicle of the Infantry") is based off of the BMP-1 and designed to be a better IFV than the original BMP, with lessons learned from it's use in the armies of Syria and Egypt during the Yom-Kippur and the Invasion of Afghanistan. A number of issues concerning crew survivability and combat effectiveness came up, as the IFV's were vulnerable to Israeli Recoilless Rifles and .50 Caliber rounds. They were also vulnerable to the old 'tilt-rod' variety of anti-tank mine. A BMP-1's steeply angled front hull would allow an arming rod on the mine to tilt without much resistance until it would be completely under the vehicle, where it would then explode and likely kill it's driver and tank commander, seriously injure anyone else inside and render the vehicle inoperable. There were also issues with the armament, as it's 73mm cannon was not very effective against infantry and light armor. It was also only six feet above the ground, meaning that infantry advancing along-side or in front of the vehicle could be potentially killed by the tank's fire striking them. It's 73MM gun also had issues hitting targets further than 500 meters and it's AT-3 missile proved difficult to fire from inside the turret. However, it was praised for being fast and versatile. The BMP-2 was designed to solve these issues. First planned in 1972, taking cues from foreign designs such as the German Marder IFV as well as experience regarding the above flaws, such as moving the crew to better-armored positions, such as the commander sharing the well-armored turret with the gunner. However, major flaws continued to surface. During combat in foreign armies and the Soviet's own experiences in Afghanistan, the placement of the fuel-tanks practically underneath the seats that six of the seven troops reside in. If hit by an incendiary round, this would cause the fuel to explode and disable the vehicle, as well as likely severely injure or kill the troops sitting inside. This was never corrected, as the ability of the troops to provide their own firepower was considered important in Soviet military thinking. Due to this and the BMP's low armor, most troops opt to sit outside the vehicle when being transported. The BMP series was also more costly to maintain than the wheeled Bronetransportyor (BTR) series of vehicles. Despite these short-comings, the BMP-2 is still a versatile--if somewhat expensive--IFV. It continues to see service in the Russian army as well over twenty other nations including Indonesia, Finland and Afghanistan. It has also seen service in various conflicts since it's introduction, including both Gulf Wars, the current conflict in Afghanistan and the wars in Chechnya. In Game The BMP-2 is first seen in the level The Coup, with the car transporting the player to his execution traveling behind one as it delivers troops to a location in the city. They are then encountered frequently in the level Shock and Awe trying to shoot down the player's Helicopter transport. One patrols the town where Al-Assad's safe-house is located and during the level All Ghillied Up are part of a large patrol group the player must navigate past. They play their most significant role during the level All In, where the player must destroy several attacking BMP's along with their troop complements. Destroyed BMP's also serve as scenery and cover in some levels, both in single and multiplayer games.